Appointment To Sabah Cabinet Is An Extension Of My Service- Pairin
Saturday, 27 March 2004 (Source: Bernama)

KOTA KINABALU: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) President Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan, who was Chief Minister from April 1985 to March 1994, said Saturday his appointment to the State Cabinet as a Deputy Chief Minister was an extension of his service to the state.

Pairin, a Chief Minister for nine years is making a comeback as a Deputy Chief Minister -- a situation that only exemplifies just how unique Sabah politics is.

Pairin also holds the rural development portfolio and his assistant minister is Datuk Tawfiq Abu Bakar Titingan, the younger brother of Datuk Baharom Abu Bakar Titingan who served as Deputy Chief Minister in Pairin's PBS Government.

"We have never stopped serving the people. We have been serving them in many capacities even when in the opposition. So it is just another job and responsibility which we have to respond just like all responsible politicians.

"This is another role and we'd like to play it as best as we can for the benefit of the state and the people," said Pairin.

It has been an eventful day in Sabah's history today -- a new State Cabinet being sworn-in, the rotation system being scrapped and the Federal Cabinet being announced which saw a much stronger Sabah representation -- all in a spate of just about an hour.

In the Federal Cabinet, Sabah is now represented by three ministers, two deputy ministers and a parliamentary secretary, which is an increase by one full minister.

They are: Ministers in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok and Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili as well as Datuk Shafie Apdal who is the Federal Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs.

The two deputy ministers are Datuk Anifah Aman (Plantation Enterprises and Commodities) and Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun (Housing and Local Government).

Silam MP Datuk Samsu Baharun Abdul Rahman was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Ministry.

"Thank you to Pak Lah for increasing the number of ministers from Sabah. This goes to show that the Prime Minister cares about Sabah," Chief Minister Musa said.

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Datuk Chong Kah Kiat who had been a Chief Minister for two years under the rotation system welcomed "the decisive and timely decision" by the Prime Minister to resolve the matter once and for all.

"Everyone has had the opportunity to serve under the system," he said.

As Pairin put it, the system was not supposed to be there in the first place.

"We can now concentrate on the job without having to debate anymore whether this is good or that is bad," said Pairin.

Sabah Progressive Party deputy president Datuk Raymond Tan said "...this is the right time to make the announcement (on the abolition)."